MORE USEFUL HIKING HACKS TO KNOW

These handy tricks will help you get the most out any hiking trip, if you haven’t already read them or know them, and if you do, then you should become a Contributor OnDECK by DINGA or share your experience through the comments section below. We’d love to add your experience to make the piece even better – everyone gets full recognition.

WEAR TOE SOCKS TO PREVENT BLISTERS

They may not be much of a fashion statement, but wearing a pair of toe socks under your hiking socks and shoes can help prevent blisters from forming on your toes. They offer a little extra cushioning for your feet and stop your toes rubbing.

INVEST IN A GOOD HOODIE

If you are going on a day hike and don’t want to lug a backpack around, there are some good hiking hoodies which offer enough interior pocket space so you won’t need to. They don’t come cheap, but if you don’t like hiking with something on your back, hoodies are a great way to do something about it.

BRING DUCT TAPE

Duct tape is the ultimate tool of versatility for hikers. It can get you out of a mess with broken boots and if blisters do form, you can apply it to offer protection and stop it from ruining your hike.

If you are short on space and can’t fit a whole roll of duct tape in your day bag, you can wrap a foot or so of duct tape around a lighter. There are also smaller hiker-friendly rolls which can fit neatly in your pocket.

REPACKAGE YOUR SNACKS FOR THE TRAIL

To save space in your backpack, empty your nuts, trail mix and crisps into resealable bags. Because a packet of crisps can be up to 70% air, you will notice a huge difference once you re-package your snacks yourself.

USE YOUR HAND TO ESTIMATE REMAINING SUNLIGHT

Knowing when to stop hiking and set up your tent can be tricky if you don’t know the time. If you hold your hand up to the sun, the distance between the sun and the horizon tells you how many hours of sunlight remaining. Each finger represents around 15 minutes of sunlight. Your whole hand represents an hour.

USE SHELLAC TO WATERPROOF MATCHES

You can keep your matches waterproof when out on the trails by coating them in a sealant, such as shellac. I don’t bother with this unless I am going for at least a week and I will be cooking for myself because of the hassle of coating each individual match, but if you are expecting heavy rain and your matches will be your only lifeline, it is a good way of preserving them.

PITCH YOUR TENT FACING INTO THE WIND

I have had plenty of practice hunting mosquitos around my tent by torchlight. By positioning your tent flap facing into the wind you will stop mosquitos gathering at your tent flap and hopefully prevent them entering the tent when you open the flaps to get in and out.

So, anymore hacks that everyone has heard? Or do you really have something new? Let us know!